Interac is one of Canada’s most recognizable brands in the payment sector, as the debit payment form uniquely reaches almost all Canadians. Advances in technology have resulted in shifts in Interac’s offering, as well as more competition. Interac needed to examine how they approached their business audience to maintain leadership in a shifting landscape. Larger companies have entire departments dedicated to managing payments, but for small business owners (who make up 99% of Canadian business), navigating and adapting to those changes falls squarely on their shoulders. That created an opportunity for Interac: beyond simply enabling transactions, Interac helps drive business growth, yet many small businesses are unaware of those options.

The agency’s challenge was to shift perceptions from Interac as a payment brand to Interac as an innovative technology partner. The team undertook qualitative and quantitative research with small business owners, consultants and experts, who revealed that small business owners want to hear from other entrepreneurs because they are the only people who truly understand their needs, realities and dreams. In short: for advice, entrepreneurs only trust other entrepreneurs.

Interac needed to position themselves as an innovative technology partner with entrepreneurs. For this niche audience, the agency had to look beyond traditional advertising. Entrepreneurs may be a niche target, but they are united in their ethos. They recognize that success isn’t easy, and overcoming obstacles is how a small business achieves scale. Benefitting from the knowledge of someone who has done just that is invaluable. From this insight came the idea: a small business masterclass for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs.

The idea came to life in a branded podcast called Earning Curve. Audio content provided value traditional advertising never could, as the medium opened up real and insightful business stories in an approachable, easily digestible format. The team was able to talk with entrepreneurs, rather than at entrepreneurs. Dragon’s Den entrepreneur and tech-leader Michele Romanow hosted the show. In each episode, start-up owners engaged with proven business leaders to discuss overcoming the obstacles that stand in the way of growth. To be successful and provide true value, it was essential that the sequencing and placement of messaging was well-planned.

In order to be discovered in entrepreneurial environments, a social teaser video & audio trailers introduced the show’s premise, guests and topics. External podcast promotion in relevant programming generated awareness. Growth 500 Sponsorship added legitimacy through editorial partnerships. Search campaigns exposed the show to audiences looking for related business terms. In order to engage and re-engage entrepreneurs, podcasts were distributed over six weeks through the Apple Podcast App, Spotify, Overcast, and Stitcher. A landing page centralized content, episodes and information on Interac. Promoted Audiograms delivered insights into the target’s newsfeeds.

Earning Curve was a tightly targeted branded audio program that delivered on Interac’s big ambitions. 90% of listeners felt Interac understood the needs of small business. 85% felt that the show was unique and represented the issues small businesses face. 80% found it relevant, helpful and that Interac was a leader in Canadian business. The program achieved 2.33 million impressions for content, which exceeded 250,000 completions, as well as 1.35 million impressions for podcast promotion vehicles. More than 52,000 people listened to an episode, with an average listening time of 24 minutes, indicating that audiences stayed well past Interac’s mid-roll message placements. This exceeded branded podcast benchmarks by 20% (identified by podcast production leader Gimlet). Interac’s Business Solutions website had 10,000+ unique sessions during the campaign, 80% above usual monthly traffic. Apple named Earning Curve to its ‘Best of 2018’ list – the only branded podcast to make the list and a great indication that Interac made the leap from traditional advertising to content their target audience actually wanted to consume.